Hoop-tightening device



Jan. 12, 1932. F. SCHAEFER HOOP TIGHTENING DEVICE Filed March 26, 1929 q Z M. V @Whfi m 152/ n M 4 4 P H M m w s m AW 6 WW Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRIEDRICH SCHAEFER, OF ST. GALL, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOB TO FRANZ L. STOFFEL,

, OF ARBON, SWITZERLAND HoOP-TIGHTENING DEVICE Application fi led March 26, 1929, Serial No. 350,077, and in Switzerland June 2, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for tightening hoops of a container when the same have become loose.

Newly hooped containers have, as a rule, a plurality of hoops tightly stretched around the perimeter thereof, the ends being fastened by clamps. It frequently happens that the containers shrink in time, as the wood of which they are made loses some of its orig.- inal moisture content, the result thereof being that the hoops become loose. About the only remedy under this condition is to rehoop the container, an operation which is relatively costly, as the old hoops must necessarily be discarded.

To overcome the foregoing condition the presentinvention seeks to provide a device by means of which the original hoops of a container may be tightened, a further object of the invention being to provide a device which is simple in construction and readily manipulated to effect the desired tightening operation. I

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a portion of the device constructed in accord: ance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation showingthe device of Figure 1. a

Figure 3 shows the tightened hoop as viewed in plan.

Figure 3a shows the tightened hoop as viewed in side elevation.

Figure 4: is a view in front elevation showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the device of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section, taken on line 6-6.,of Figure 5, and looking in the direction of the arrows but showing the lever 20 in reverse position.

With specific reference to Figures 1 and 2, a toothed bar 1 is shown formed with two hoop guides 1 and 1" and a groove 1. The bar is formed in such manner that it may readily be laid flat on a case. Cooperating with the bar is an arcuate cog segment 2,

formed with teeth on the outer periphery thereof which cooperate with the teeth on the rack-bar 1. The segment is formed, in the central plane thereof, with a rib 3 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the segment and extends outwardly adjacent the extremities of the teeth formed on the segment. The above-described rib is re ceived in the groove 4 in the bar in a manner vwhich will be readily understood and lateral flanges or shrouds 5 and 5 are formed on the segment parallel to the rib 3. The flanges overlie the sides of the rack-bar 1 and serve as a means for maintaining the segment in proper relation to the bar. Oppositely extending handles 6 and 6 are formed on the segment and enable the same to be rocked upon the bar while exerting pressure upon the rack. Inclined guides 7 are preferably formed on the rack-bar at either end thereof and facilitate slipping the bar under a hoop which is to be tightened.

In operation, the bar is slipped under a hoop, and the segment 2 placed over the bar with the flanges 5 and 5 lying upon either side of the latter. Pressure is now exerted upon the handles 6 and 6 and the segment is rocked to and fro until the hoop has been forced into the teeth of the bar and segment. Figures 3 and 3a illustrate the character of 30 the hoop after such operation has taken place, corrugations 8 and 8 being formed in the hoop on opposite sides of a longitudinal rib 9. The longitudinal rib serves to stiffen the hoop and prevent stretching of the same to its original length.

Figures &, 5, and 6 represent a modified form of the invention, wherein a suitable base or support is shown at 11, the support being provided with an arm 12 and a guide groove 13. A cogwheel 11 is journaled in the supporting frame 11, being received within the guide groove 13 as will be apparent in Figure 6. A shaft 17 mounts the cogwheel 14 and is formed with a groove 16 which receives a set-screw 15 to secure the wheel and shaft in assembled position. Ratchet teeth are formed in the end 18 of the shaft 17 and are adapted to engage with correspondingly formed teeth in a stub shaft 19 upon which a the shaft 17, shaft 19 being journaled thereon and forced against theteeth on the shaft end 18 by means of a spring 22.

Standards 11 and ll are formed on the base 11 and are apertured to receive a shaft 23 j ournaled therein. An eccentric stub shaft 23 is formed on the shaft 23, and carries a large cogwheel 25. The teeth of this cog.- wheel engage the teeth of cogwheel 14. An.

operating lever 24 is secured to the shaft 23 means of a set-screw, as clearly shown in b F igure 6, and thus enables the eccentric stub shaft 23 to be moved bodily to and from' the cogwheel 14. An adjustable stop-pin 26 cooperates with lever 24 to limit the movement of thewheel 25 toward the wheel 14, and a stop 27 limits the movement of lever 20 in like manner. Between the cogwheel 25 and the adjacent surface of the standard 11"is a ball 30 which engages a recess 31 in the standard 11", a spring 29 serving to urgev the ball into the recess. When the lever 24 engages the pin 26, the ball 30 is forced-home into the recess 31 and the cogwheel thus maintained in the desired relationship with respect to the wheel 14.

As described in connection with the rack 1 and segment 2, the cogwheel 25 is formed with a circumferential rib 32 which engages with a cooperating groove 33. An inclined guide track 34 is formed on the base and facilitates the movement of the base under a hoop to cause the latter to engage the guide groove 13.

The operation of the device shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 will befreadily understood and consists initially in moving the lever 24 until the cogwheel 25 has moved away from the wheel 14 a suflicient distance. The loosened hoop Z is then placed within the guide track 13 and between the cogwheels. .The lever 24 is next forced down until the cogwheel 25 has moved into its proper position, at which time the ball 30 engages recess 31 and'the teeth on the wheels 14 and 25 interengage. This forces the hoop Z to assume the contour of the teeth of the respective wheels and such formation may be extended over any desired length of the hoop by manipulating lever 20, movement of which leverrotates the wheels as indicated by the arrow over the wheel 25 and forces the hoop through the fwheels and forms undulations therein; VVh-en the lever 20 is reciprocated, the teeth on the aligned shafts 17 and 19 permit move that a device has been provided for tightening hoops, the construction thereof being simple and the operation thereof effective, thus enabling hoops to be tightened quite inexpensively.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited, save as definedin the appended claims.

Having now described the nature of the said invention, what I claim is 1. A hoop-tightening device comprising a toothed'baseinember, a pressure member associated with the base and having coopera-t ing teeth formed therein, and a rib and groove formed on the respective members at. right angles to the teeth.

' 2. A hoop-tightening device comprising a base member, a cogwheel journaled on the base, means to rotate-the wheel, a second cogwheel, means, to journalthe second wheel eccentrically on the base, and means to rotate the j ournaling'means.

3. A hoop-tightening'device comprising a base member,a cogwheel journaled on the base, means to rotate the wheel, a second cogwheel,.a shaft ,journaled on thebase, an eocentric stub shaft on the last-named shaft for j'ournaling the second wheel, and means to rotate the first shaft.

4. A hoop-tightening device comprising a base member, a cogwheel journaled on the base, means to rotate the wheel, a second cogwheel, a standard on the'base formed with a journal, a shaft journaled in the standard, .1

ment of shaft 19 in one direction without causing a corresponding movement of the cogwheel 14. In the foregoing manipulation the base 11 will move along the container under the hoop. Such movement is preferably guided by means of arm 12 in order that the base may follow the hoop.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent 

